The fortnightly Essential Research poll includes the pollster’s more-or-less monthly reading of the leadership ratings, which record a four point increase in Scott Morrison’s approval rating to 65% and a two point drop in disapproval to 28%. Anthony Albanese is respectively down two to 40% and steady on 33%. Morrison’s lead as preferred prime minister increases slightly, from 51-25 to 52-24.
Also featured are the pollster’s regular questions on federal and state government handling of COVID-19, with the added twist of a question asking who respondents felt had performed better out of the Prime Minister and their Premier or Chief Minister. This found 52% favouring their state or territory leader compared with 30% for Scott Morrison. The poll nonetheless gives the federal government its strongest result for handling of the pandemic in at least six months, with 69% rating it good (up two on a fortnight ago) and 12% as poor (down two).
The state government results are little changed for the three states with passable sample sizes: the New South Wales government’s good rating is up a point to 72%; Victoria’s is down two to 59% (the state’s lockdown was announced on the third day of the six-day polling period); and Queensland’s is down two to 76%. Western Australia’s is at 88%, the highest reading in at least six months, after the conclusion of that state’s lockdown, which is up eight on the previous poll, conducted shortly before the lockdown began. However, here the sample size is below 200 and the margin of error as high as 10%. The same applies to South Australia’s 79%, down one on last time.
The poll also has questions about Craig Kelly’s recent behaviour, although I wonder about a question wording that says Kelly has been “sharing Covid-19 misinformation”, the consistently negative tone of the propositions being put to the respondents, and the lack of clear response options along the lines of “who’s Craig Kelly?”. The results find 41% agreeing that Morrison has showed poor leadership, without offering clarity on how many disagreed and how many had no opinion, and 56% agreeing Kelly was “more interested in sharing Covid-19 misinformation and building his media profile than representing his constituency”.
The full report features still further questions on COVID-19 and one on a 2050 net zero carbon emissions target. The poll was conducted Wednesday to Monday from a sample of 1109.
boerwar
Given the levels of respect and trust for pollies ‘in the community’ I would have thought getting trusted and respected people to lead the way was the way to go. Particularly ones from demographics that are a bit ‘vaccine hesitant’ .
Rex Douglassays: Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 1:29 pm
Rumour has it the Forth Bridge is going down ….
*************************************
Not the code for Prince Philip ??????????????
Corbyn was a chinless and politically gutless Far Left ideologue who led Labour to its worst defeat in over 70 years. Seats that had been held for many, many decades were simply swept into the waiting arms of the Tories. Brexit is a gift not only of the Tory plutocrats and the Far Right fringe racists, but of Corbyn’s vacuous lack of leadership on these issues.
On Brexit alone, Corbyn sacrificed Far Left principles of internationalism and international worker solidarity at the altar of British xenophobia and racism. To top off that bit of tacit racism, he failed to squash pervasive anti-semitism in Labour.
These basic and observable truths being totally unpalatable to the Far Left, the comrades have figured out that Brexit Fiasco and the Corbyn Disaster must have been everybody else’s fault.
These are among the same Far Left chappies who are absolutely incapable of having a bard word to say for Xi while they spend endless earnest efforts slagging the West.
phoenixRED @ #2201 Sunday, February 21st, 2021 – 1:39 pm
just a rumour…
‘poroti says:
Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 1:39 pm
boerwar
Given significant national levels of vaccine resistance I am glad that Morrison and Albanese are taking their shots by way of leading from the front.
Given the levels of respect and trust for pollies ‘in the community’ I would have thought getting trusted and respected people to lead the way was the way to go. Particularly ones from demographics that are a bit ‘vaccine hesitant’ .’
69% for Morrison isn’t it? Pretty good bet, IMO. If a fat, unfit and boozy slackarse like Morrison can survive a prick then…
By all means whack in each of the state and territory leaders. There is a systemic issue. There is apparently as significant hesitant cohort among women. And women are badly under-represented among the leaders.
I think people are over-egging the “who gets the first jab” thing.
There are two things that the PM getting the first jab might communicate:
1) a demonstration of faith in vaccination, or
2) help yourself first.
The alternative choice (the PM waiting) would communicate the converse, either:
1) a lack of faith in the vaccine, or
2) we should patiently wait our turn.
In either scenario, which of (1) or (2) is “true” is not a particularly interesting discussion. It’s possible for both to be communicated simultaneously – the people receiving it (i.e. the Australian community) are not a hivemind. Some people may interpret it as (1) and others as (2).
The question is which positive message is more important to get out even at the cost of some people receiving the negative interpretation? Is it more important to communicate that the vaccination is safe even if that might also serve to make some people impatient (or think Scotty is a douche), or is it more important to communicate wait your turn at the cost of some people losing faith in the vaccine?
Surely it’s the former? The government controls supply and can always make sure the vaccine gets to where its needed first regardless of how impatient some people are being (or how much of a douche Scotty makes of himself). Conversely, waiting is easy and forcing the vaccine on people who don’t trust it is difficult.
“That was one of the reasons I discontinued my GA subscription.”
Yep, Rex, the Grauniad is a trashy, devious little rag.
Interesting little detail about the UK version: eleven of the twelve ‘columnists’ went to Oxford (same as Blair and the editors) – the other one went to a university in a well-off Home County. Hardly the most diverse range of views in that little lot – more a club for sheep.
Look at the third reading of the Bill. It is very clear that the legislation requires digital media platforms (at this stage defined as Facebook and Google) to enter into agreements with “registered news business corporations”. There is a very specific definition of “registered news business corporation”. It doesn’t include government websites. An entity is only a “registered news business corporation” if the Australian Communications and Media Authority recognizes it as one. If an entity currently doesn’t have ACMA registration and endorsement and wants to get it, they can apply for it, and they need to demonstrate that they meet ACMA’s criteria. ACMA does not recognize public information websites maintained by government departments and agencies as “registered news business corporations”. This legislation has absolutely nothing to do with those kinds of sources of information.
As read a third time
Treasury Laws Amendment (News
Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory
Bargaining Code) Bill 2021
No. , 2021
A Bill for an Act to amend the Competition and
Consumer Act 2010 in relation to digital platforms,
and for related purposes
https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Fbills%2Fr6652_third-reps%2F0000%22;rec=0
Division 3 — Registered news businesses and registered news business corporations
52F Application for registration of news business and news business corporation
(1) A corporation (the applicant corporation ) may apply to the ACMA, in relation to a news business, for:
(a) if the news business is not already a registered news business—the registration of the news business; and
(b) if the applicant corporation is not already a registered news business corporation—the registration of the applicant corporation; and
(c) the endorsement of the applicant corporation as the registered news business corporation for the news business.
(2) The application must:
(a) be in writing; and
(b) set out every news source that comprises the news business; and
(c) set out details of the applicant corporation’s point of contact for the purposes of section 52Z; and
(d) if regulations made for the purposes of this paragraph specify requirements—meet those requirements.
(3) The news business set out in the application may be comprised of some or all of the news sources that the applicant corporation, either by itself or together with other corporations, operates or controls.
52G Registration of news business and news business corporation
(1) If the ACMA considers that the requirement in subsection (2) is met, the ACMA must:
(a) if the news business is not already a registered news business—register the news business; and
(b) if the applicant corporation is not already a registered news business corporation—register the applicant corporation; and
(c) endorse the applicant corporation as the registered news business corporation for the news business.
(2) The requirement in this subsection is met if:
(a) the application is in accordance with subsection 52F(2); and
(b) if the news business is not already a registered news business—none of the news sources set out in the application in accordance with paragraph 52F(2)(b) form part of another news business that is a registered news business; and
(c) if the news business is not already a registered news business—all of the following requirements are met in relation to the news business:
(i) the requirement in subsection 52N(1) (the content test);
(ii) the requirement in subsection 52O(1) (the Australian audience test);
(iii) the requirement in subsection 52P(1) (the professional standards test); and
(d) if the applicant corporation is not already a registered news business corporation—the applicant corporation meets the requirement in subsection 52M(1) (the revenue test); and
(e) the applicant corporation meets the requirement in section 52L (connection between applicant corporation and news business) in relation to the news business.
(3) The ACMA must publish details of each registration and endorsement on the ACMA’s website (including details of the applicant corporation’s point of contact for the purposes of section 52Z).
Andrew_Earlwood @ #2199 Sunday, February 21st, 2021 – 1:37 pm
Speaking of elevating the blog.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1363066049432743936
The only people who can make him accountable are voters. Not law enforcement, not MSM, only voters.
Shall we ask Winston Scotty , what does he reckon ?
Nicholas
There’s one catch to that, and that is whether Facebook can publish content from non-registered news businesses while refusing to publish content from registered news businesses.
Sohar @ #2207 Sunday, February 21st, 2021 – 1:14 pm
Youre joking, right?
Firstly, there is far more to the G than columnists. Secondly, I went to the same Uni as Morrison. Diversity within a university is certainly possible.
If you reject the G from your selection of media sources because of where most of the columnists went to uni then you are cutting your nose off with the bath water.
Nicholas
52A provides the definitions for the terms used. It is clear that ‘registered news businesses’ are only one classification used to determine what is ‘news’ – and rightly so.
The bit you quote is simply an outline of how something become a registered news organisation, not whether or not being registered determines that you are producing news.
Andrew_Earlwood @ #2199 Sunday, February 21st, 2021 – 1:37 pm
Would you like to answer the question? Are you in favor of actively closing down all coal-fired power stations, given that we already have all the necessary alternatives to provide baseload power?
Rex Douglas @ #2204 Sunday, February 21st, 2021 – 1:41 pm
Prince Charles visited and was reportedly teary and emotional. Possible???
The vaccination PR event was at Castle Hill Medical Centre, not far from the main Hillsong venue.
The first vaccination was originally scheduled for tomorrow.
Morrison saw his mate Houston at a Hollsong service then did the PR stunt which was rescheduled specially for Morrison’s convenience?
citizen @ #1853 Sunday, February 21st, 2021 – 2:03 pm
My thoughts exactly.
hmmm the Greek Prime Minister can remove his shirt any time.
Looks like Scotty manhandled that woman and hurt her like he was all over that young woman in Cobargo
It’s pretty clear, reading the Treasury paper I linked to earlier, that the whole focus of the legislation was google.
There is, for example, plenty of discussion about google’s threats around media access, with the response being ‘people will use other search engines’.
The corresponding threats by facebook – where facebook says clearly what it will do if the legislation is enacted – are noted but that’s it.
Both the ACCC and the government apparently failed to consider the scenario, even though facebook laid it all out for them.
That’s serious fuckwittery.
Rex Douglas says:
Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 1:19 pm
N @ #2179 Sunday, February 21st, 2021 – 1:08 pm
Player, not only am I in favour of closing down all the coal generators, I favour shutting down the gas generators too. I certainly do not think gas-fired capacity should be added to the system. It should be replaced with renewables and storage.
Not only will this happen at some point in the future, it’s already happening at a rapid pace.
In some of the world’s great coal and gas provinces, the use of these fuels is being phased out. The only voices raised against this are from the throats of denial. Yours is one such voice. It’s really time you dropped the pretence.
Briefly lifted that text from one of Bob Browns speeches.
Nah. Brown would have thrown in something about opposing wind farms as well as coal and gas. No Windmills. It’s the last staple of the Greens, something they borrowed from Abbott and Hockey. It was not the only thing. They also copied the stand of the Liberals against the Malaysia Solution.
Nicholas
Facebook and google drive traffic to the web sights, in other words free advertising for the news outlets, what is being attempted is a shakdown of these services. Seriously dumb to try and shakedown free advertising.
Facebooks business model does not require them to provide free advertising,and definitely does not require them to tolerate a shakedown. Newspapers attempting the shak-down have been told to leave. Facebook’s net may have been a little wide, they will fix that I am sure.
Google has taken a different path, it looks like they will become the spotify of the news world.
boerwar @ #2203 Sunday, February 21st, 2021 – 1:11 pm
You may be right. The few Guardian columns I read about Corbyn were mildly supportive. Clearly they needed to be Corbyn cheerleaders to satisfy Rex. Well, I am not much of a fan of the media being cheerleaders.
Fairly soon the electricity market will be majority-supplied by renewables and, correspondingly, coal and gas generators will be closed. This is fast approaching. As this happens the Liberals will become advocates for renewables. This is already occurring in NSW and WA, and is done and dusted in SA. And as this happens the coal-powered Liberal/Green double wedge against Labor will loss its bite.
What will remain to the No Windmills Party once the energy revolution is complete? Not much. What new cudgel will they find? I’d say they will struggle to find one.
Boats have lost their currency. Coal is being retired. What next? Nothing much. That will be good for the Labor-positive plurality.
Corbyn want the glorious workers paradise. The Tories a return of the empire.
What they are getting is a little island off the coast of Europe sinking into irrelevance.
What to know is who gets the beads when the sailing ships arrive to buy back Australia?
Hey Briefly,
Perhaps this one is the WA Labor energy document you co-authored?
https://www.brighterenergyfuture.wa.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/2797_WOSP.V14.web_.pdf
Nah! Can’t be. This document shows – in all four scenarios – coal and gas both still being burned out beyond 2040. In two of the four scenarios, the use of gas actually increases in the short term, to cope with demand that can’t be filled by renewables.
So I am guessing this can’t be your document?
Is Nicholas arguing a pro-LNP line on google and facebook? Makes sense. Too tedious for words, but makes sense.
N says:
…
What will remain to the No Windmills Party once the energy revolution is complete? Not much. What new cudgel will they find? I’d say they will struggle to find one.
..
Billionaires seems to be the new thing.
Nicholas would be correct if it weren’t for the non-differentiation section.
Player One says:
Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 2:25 pm
Hey Briefly,
Perhaps this one is the WA Labor energy document you co-authored?
https://www.brighterenergyfuture.wa.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/2797_WOSP.V14.web_.pdf
Nah! Can’t be. This document shows – in all four scenarios – coal and gas both still being burned out beyond 2040. In two of the four scenarios, the use of gas actually increases in the short term, to cope with demand that can’t be filled by renewables.
So I am guessing this can’t be your document?
Nah, not my document. I work at mill, doing mostly manual jobs. I’m not a bureaucrat and neither an advisor nor a staffer. I’m just a common bloke, trying to crank out a modest living and to add my voice where I can. But I have met the authors of that document. I trust them. They’re smart and they’re serious. The transition will occur in WA. It will occur without sacrificing the economy and jobs and Labor’s political horsepower. It is already occurring.
“ Are you in favor of actively closing down all coal-fired power stations, given that we already have all the necessary alternatives to provide baseload power?”
OK hall monitor, I’ll answer the question in a way that undoubtably will fall outside your binary ‘yes/no’ parameters.
I favour having fair rules in place in the energy market that will allow energy providers to make market based decisions without the government tipping the scales in favour of fossil fuels. I feel sure that if that happened that all fossil fuel generation would cease in this country well before 2050, with probably 90% gone by 2040. That would mean – as a matter of market reality that most generators would retire existing CFPSs by up to a decade earlier than currently scheduled.
If the rules are set thus, I believe that the market will take care of the rest. However – caveat – if I am wrong on that, then as a last resort I would be opposed to a future federal government dropping the hammer by say 2040 and forcing the remaining fossil fuel generators to all close in the following decade.
N @ #2231 Sunday, February 21st, 2021 – 2:31 pm
I don’t get it. You trust them but you don’t believe them? Which bits do you not believe?
Andrew_Earlwood @ #2232 Sunday, February 21st, 2021 – 2:34 pm
Sorry, you get no credit for that – I could have predicted that myself.
You still have one chance left.
F’ing useless Australian government.
There are a lot of old Nissan Leaf cars out there. They were early EVs and their batteries are getting old and the km range (already rather limited due to early tech being exe) is becoming a problem for owners. Nissan have priced replacing the battery so high that it, unsurprisingly, encourages people to buy a new LEAF. Yet, in many countries (like NZ) the price is much much lower with small mechanic companies able to bring in replacement batteries themselves. Noting that the old batteries are still very usable and valuable…. just not in an old electric car.
Now, wouldnt it be great for there to be some sort of government led system that allowed these old cars to stay on the road with new or refurbished batteries. It doesnt have to be a subsidy. Just a helping hand for smaller companies open up and compete with Nissan. WHilst the battery replacement is cheaper in NZ that didnt stop the government offering a grant for a start up to try to develop even cheaper and better battery replacements. With luck, these will be hitting the market in NZ this year and may make their way to Australia soon after. Maybe. Or the government could go halves with NZ, pitch in and share the tech. I believe the NZ goverment chipped in $20grand. FFS. Thats a LNP travel budget for a week. Its a seat at the table of a LNP fundraiser.
Here in AUS. Well, due to the complete lack of interest by the government, community groups have started buying and importing (and changing language configs) bulk Japanese second hand (2-5yo) LEAFs. Because it is still just so damn exe to buy them here.
Surprised I wasn’t asked to be first for vaccination.
A chance to see a grown man wincing, sweating, averting his gaze, a gentle tear down each cheek.
Player One says:
Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 2:36 pm
N @ #2231 Sunday, February 21st, 2021 – 2:31 pm
But I have met the authors of that document. I trust them.
I don’t get it. You trust them but you don’t believe them? Which bits do you not believe?
I both trust and believe them. They will give practical effect to the party’s position, which reflects its subscription to the science of climate change and a commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, and to do so in ways that protect and strengthen the economy and jobs.
But do not trouble yourself. This could be too hard for you to comprehend…or too difficult for you to acknowledge. Not everyone will be on board. You are among the doubters. That’s ok. Feel free to curate your doubts. Admire yourself. No-one else could give a rats. Get used to it.
The only way that I think Facebook (Australia) might be able to make things work without bluntly blocking all potential “news” would be to:
a) include a clause in their ToS or EULA (or whatever is the appropriate vehicle for this kind of stuff) that says no “news”, as defined by Australia, is to be shared/published on their platform and they will take down any content identified as “news”, then
b) take down/block news content from obvious “news” sources (costello, stokes, murdoch, government, etc) and
c) leave Australia to identify any other “news” content and take it down on request (with a public notice on the page affected explaining which authority identified and requested it be taken down).
lizzie (Block)
Sunday, February 21st, 2021 – 7:34 am
Comment #2012
Thanks lizzie. This is the link for anyone who hasn’t found the whole piece. It won’t take but 5 minutes of your time, maybe longer if you care.
https://aliensideboob.substack.com/p/time-line-of-a-cover-up
“ You still have one chance left.”
Or what?
This is a discussion board. Not some totalitarian Board of Punishments.
Fuck off P1.
There is a mistake in my long form answer to P1’s straw man question:
“ If the rules are set thus, I believe that the market will take care of the rest. However – caveat – if I am wrong on that, then as a last resort I would be opposed to a future federal government dropping the hammer by say 2040 and forcing the remaining fossil fuel generators to all close in the following decade.”
I meant to say I would NOT be opposed to the Government dropping the hammer by say 2040.
Of course, and as an addendum: if we manage to get back to ‘best practice’ some time this decade and re-introduce a ETS, then there would be no need to drop the hammer, given the incremental reductions mandated by such a scheme.
‘A chance to see a grown man wincing, sweating, averting his gaze, a gentle tear down each cheek.’
Shellbell
A sight not to be missed.
Noticed that tweet explaining that Morrison got the kid’s shot, not the adult shot!
Shellbell @ #2236 Sunday, February 21st, 2021 – 2:46 pm
Saturday night at the local disco memories, eh?
Merrick Garland is Biden’s nominee for Attorney General, and his Senate confirmation hearings start on Monday US time. Here is his opening statement, issued in advance:
https://beta.documentcloud.org/documents/20489424-sjc-testimonyfinal
BH
I read somewhere that a new syringe was being sourced to prevent loss of vaccine. Traditional syringes have a dead space in the area where the needle attaches to the syringe.
I like the thought of him being held to ridicule of requiring a child’s needle but am not sure that is the case on this occasion.
Andrew_Earlwood @ #2240 Sunday, February 21st, 2021 – 2:51 pm
P1 is so boring that paint watches her dry.
Greensborough Growler @ #2246 Sunday, February 21st, 2021 – 3:17 pm
Assuming no stuff up of course…………..
.
.
Where are you in the vaccine queue? Our calculator shows when you’re likely to get the jab
https://www.smh.com.au/national/where-are-you-in-the-vaccine-queue-our-calculator-shows-when-you-re-likely-to-get-the-jab-20210221-p574eq.html
N @ #2237 Sunday, February 21st, 2021 – 2:46 pm
Even though their conclusions contradict your arguments here.
I think we all get it now. No need to Labor it! 🙂
Here is the video of Promo (pre costume change for his own Q-jump) ‘manhandling’ the 84 year old lady…
https://mobile.twitter.com/missbaileywoof/status/1363341393461055496?s=12